


Don't Let It Fester

by whelmedtobehere



Series: First Encounters and Subsequent Conversations [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Gen, Jaon Todd is (almost) Robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 20:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20315635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whelmedtobehere/pseuds/whelmedtobehere
Summary: Dick confronts Bruce about his new ward Jason Todd - and the fact that he didn't tell Dick about him.





	Don't Let It Fester

**Author's Note:**

> So for reference Jason is 12 (and has only been at the Manor for a few months) and Dick is 18. I would recommend reading First Encounters first but you don't have to.

“Who’s the kid?” The words were out of Dick’s mouth before he could reconsider. He was sitting in Bruce’s study. Bruce was looking over some business papers and Dick was flipping through the pages of a book he had pulled off the shelf while occasionally commenting or asking Bruce a question. Their intermittent conversation ranging from his work with the Titans to the Gotham Knights last game. Under other circumstances it would have been comfortable, easy, but there was something lurking in the back of Dick’s mind that kept him from enjoying it completely. The issue was not content with lurking, apparently, and jumped from the back of his mind to his mouth with the ill-phrased question.

He returned his attention to the book in an attempt to appear casual; to ignore the sudden tenseness in the air from the conversational grenade he had just launched and to pretend he wasn’t bracing himself for when it blew up in his face.

“I believe you’ve met.” His tone was casual, but Dick knew him well enough to read the slight tenseness in the line of lips, in the curve of his knuckles as he pushed a paper to the side of his desk.

“Yes. Briefly. But that wasn’t-” Dick put down the book in favor of running his hands through his hair. “I mean who is he? Why is he here?”

“Jason Todd is living here. I’m fostering him.”

Dick wasn’t sure if his obtuseness was deliberate or not, but it had him clenching his teeth. “I know that. I read it in the paper.” He took a deep breath. “Are you just fostering him? Because I saw him training downstairs. Are you planning on taking him out?”

“After the appropriate amount of training. I think he will make a good partner. Why? Do you have a problem with Jason?” Bruce had abandoned any pretense of working now and had directed his intense gaze at him.

“I don’t know Jason.”

  
“So your problem is with me then?”

  
“Taking in a kid is kind of a big deal Bruce! It would have been nice to hear it from you before it appeared in the papers!”

  
“I wasn’t aware I had to ask your permission.” Bruce narrowed his eyes and his voice had just a hint of the batman growl.

  
Dick was no longer sitting but pacing agitatedly between the bookshelves on either side of the room. “That isn’t what I’m saying at all!” He was yelling now. He stoppped and took a deep breath. Turning around to face Bruce, he said in a tone that was lower in volume but no less furious; no less frustrated and hurt. “Look, If you don’t get it, I can’t explain it to you.” He was halfway out the door when Bruce spoke.

  
“You were busy.”

  
Dick stopped in his tracks; frozen for a moment. Then he whirled around shooting him an incredulous look. “So, I’m busy. So are you. Does that mean I can’t call you or stop for a visit?”

  
“Of course not. That’s not what I meant.”

  
“Than what did you mean?”

  
“You made it clear you wanted space. I was trying to respect that.”

  
“I don’t know how you-” Dick stopped himself from starting a tirade and tried to sort through his thoughts. “I mean, yeah, I moved out and I’ve been working mostly with the Titans because I wanted some independence, like most people my age. That doesn’t mean you have to shut me out.”

  
“That wasn’t my intention Dick.” As they were talking Dick had moved gradually away from the door until he was standing by the chair across from Bruce’s desk.

  
“Well it feels that way. When you replace me and don’t even bother to tell me.” His words were biting, even as he started to feel his anger drain away. He fell back into the chair, his head flung over one arm of the chair and his legs draped over the other. It had often been up to Dick to reach out to Bruce first and he was now starting to realize that this was not Bruce deliberately giving him the cold-shoulder, but instead the same old Bruce unsure how to make the first move.

  
“He’s not your replacement Dick.” Bruce said sharply. Then more calmly, “You’ve said yourself that I can... benefit from having a partner. And I think it will be good for Jason.”

  
In a smooth motion, Dick flipped around so that he was sitting upright in the chair. “I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot, but he seems like a good kid.”

  
“He is a good kid.” Bruce’s tone was warm and Dick could read relief in his posture.

  
Dick leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “I’d like to get to know him better but, no ones using the Robin name and uniform right now so maybe when he’s ready…”

  
“You may not be Robin anymore but it’s still your name. If you make the decision to let Jason use it then I’m sure he’d be thrilled.”

  
“How did you meet Jason anyway?”

  
Bruce let out a huff of amusement. “That’s a story that I think you’ll appreciate.”

  
“Then I’ll have to hear it. Maybe you and Jason can tell me after our sparring match.”

  
Bruce raised an eyebrow. “You know I did come in here to do work, right?”

  
“Do you do work now? I thought Lucius just gave you things to make you feel helpful.”

  
“Hmm.”

  
“Come on Bruce. Unless you’re scared I’ll beat you old man.”

  
“I’m not the one who should be scared.” Bruce was smiling now with only a slight upturn of his lips; Bruce’s real smiles were always mostly in his eyes. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  
“You’re on.” Dick said as he started to leave the room, smiling now too.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I looked over this before I posted it but apparently not well at all. I kept switching tenses which was horrible lol. I edited it but please let me know if you see any other mistakes.


End file.
